Deception
by CanaanAlphardForever
Summary: Historia Reiss is kidnapped and secret agent Ymir is sent out to rescue her. Ymir soon discovers that not everything is as it seems. AU. Challenge-fic. One-shot.


Author's Note: Posted a little early! This week's theme is "James Bond AU", with the one condition being a secret lair. There's a little YmirxKrista, and a little more YmirxNanaba. Dunno, it just happened. Enjoy!

* * *

A young woman lay still in her large, fluffy bed. She was close to sleep, eyes shut tight and small fists curled. Her breaths came out easy, and if it wasn't for a sudden crash echoing from somewhere in the house, she would have fallen asleep.

With a gasp she shot up, heart pounding. Her father wasn't at home, of that she was certain. He had somewhere more important to be. So what had made that sound? It couldn't possibly have been one of her pets, since they weren't allowed in the house. The noise itself had sounded like falling pots anyway.

With a trembling lip she climbed out of bed, shivering in both fear and the cool air brushing against her smooth thighs. Her silken nightie did nothing to warm her.

"Hello?" she called out lamely, aware of the awful cliché. She found herself foolishly hoping that her father would call back, but of course he didn't.

She left her room on shaking legs, swallowing lightly. As she stepped out into the hall she glanced up at the camera mounted high up on the wall. It was motion sensitive, and so its red light flashed to life when she started moving down the hall. If anything were to happen, the many cameras around the house would capture it. This fact did not make her feel any better.

Yet still, she walked through the dark house, flinching when her bare feet made the stairs creak eerily.

The large dining room was empty, to her relief. As was the lounge and kitchen. However, she saw a few of the cabinets had been left open and wondered if the house servants had done so. She padded over to them and quietly shut them. Behind her the curtains suddenly moved, sending a cold draft of air against her back. When it caused the hanging pots to clutter noisily, relief washed over her. It had only just been the wind, it seemed.

She shut the kitchen window and then made to head back up to her room, but stopped dead in her tracks. The pantry door hung wide open. She knew that it had been closed when she entered, and there was no way the wind had opened it.

There was a scuff of hard boots behind her and then a strong chemical smell burnt through her nose. A hand clamped down around her face and she was too slow to react.

She inhaled once, a startled gasp, and then she went limp against her captor's chest.

XxX

Special Agent Ymir had just finished her shower. She stepped out of the bathroom, steam following her, rubbing her wet hair with a towel. She wore a silk robe around her nude body. And since she had no other plans than dinner, putting clothes on, in her opinion, wasn't necessary.

Her large house was quiet since she lived alone. However, one other creature shared her solitude, and the little kitten bounded excitedly towards the tall brunette. Her freckles seemed more pronounced underneath the soft light, and when she smiled they almost shifted.  
Ymir bent down and scooped the animal up in her strong hands. She chuckled when the kitten released a squeak and then she continued on to the kitchen.

"How was your day, Shadow?" she asked the little cat. She lifted her and stared up into pretty feline eyes. "That good, huh? Lucky little shit."

She placed the cat down on the floor and then prepared cat food for her before getting to work on her own mean.

Ymir's stomach growled violently as she plated the food and then she quickly walked into her lounge. She decided to sit on the couch instead of the dining room, since the latter usually made her frown and feel lonely. Shadow, having finished her meal, scurried to Ymir's ankles and meowed loudly, wanting more food.

"Nuh-uh," Ymir scolded. "Anymore and you'll burst. Human food isn't meant for you anyway." Shadow meowed in unhappiness and attempted to climb the couch, but was too small. Ymir chuckled.

The freckled agent settled more comfortably on her expensive leather couch, plate on her lap, and was about to eat. Fork midway to her mouth, her communication device suddenly chirped and the brunette dropped her fork to answer it.

A small watch to the common public, Ymir's communication device was technology from the future. It was silver and sleek, not at all bulky despite how many functions it had. One of them was wireless video communication via holographic screen.

Ymir pressed a small button to the side of her watch and a beam of light shot out, materializing as a small screen. She pinched her thumb and index finger together in front of the screen and then flicked her fingers outwards, stretching the holograph until it was about the size of a small computer screen.

A smartly dressed blonde appeared, her blue eyes as serious and sharp as ever. She did not smile and this time Ymir sensed the seriousness of the call before the blonde had even spoken.

"Ymir." Nanaba, head of the SES (Stealth and Extermination Squadron), addressed her employee with a curt nod and the vocalization of her name. The blonde woman, often referred to as the Blue-eyed Dragon due to her years in service before ranking high enough to instead lead a team, was an exceptional warrior herself. Now, however, her age seemed to show with the dark circles underneath her eyes and the tiredness in her usually focused blue irises. "I have an urgent mission for you. Are you free?"

Ymir was torn between making a joke about not being in chains yet, and outright rejecting the job. But she knew that she couldn't, and Nanaba asking if she was available was only a curtsey. "I was kind of about to eat. Can't you call Reiner?"

Nanaba immediately shook her head. "Him and Annie or in Africa raiding a drug cartel."

"Mikasa?"

"She's investigating an illegal research facility. I have no one available but you."

Ymir dropped her plate down on the table in front of her and then stood with a sigh. She did not care that she was naked besides her robe, and it seemed that Nanaba didn't care either. The blonde waited patiently as Ymir padded into her study, where she threw the hologram against the wall, allowing it to enlarge to its largest capacity. Ymir then crossed her arms over her chest.

"Alright, debrief me."

Nanaba smiled in relief as if there was even a chance that Ymir would have said no. "An hour ago, Lod Reiss contacted us in a panic. His daughter, Historia, had been snatched from her bed approximately twelve hours ago. When he returned home from his business trip in Japan he found the house empty and a note was left in her room. At first he didn't believe it, but then he watched the surveillance video." Nanaba's face disappeared as said video began to play. Ymir's eyebrow lifted for a moment as she took in the slim form of a very attractive Historia. The woman wasn't a secret to the world, and was all but a celebrity. Since her father was practically a brand name, anything that involved him also involved her. Ymir had never really cared much for the blonde woman before, but now that she was watching Historia fearfully walk into the kitchen moments before being snatched, Ymir felt a sudden need to start the mission already.

"She was snatched by the terrorist group called Emblem. They've been pretty low key since they started out a little over a year ago, doing small things that didn't warrant world news coverage, but was still observed by our forces. Now they've apparently made their big move."

"What are they demanding?" Ymir asked.

"They want Lod Reiss to admit his sins or his daughter's head will be delivered to him by sundown. That gives us just over twenty-four hours to retrieve her."

Ymir was already calculating how quickly she could get the job done. "Where are they located?"

"Siwa Oasis, Egypt. It is 50 km from the Libya border, extending about 80 km in length and 20 km in width." Nanaba took a breath. "It's an ideal spot since it's isolated. Can you speak Siwi?"

Ymir squinted. "Not that I know of."

"I'll send a program to your watch. Avoid speaking to any locals. We'll drop you in by plane and give you coordinates to a hidden warehouse where you'll find your gear. You'll then be given you the information about where Emblem is located. For now just get your ass clothed and over here. The higher-ups are pissing themselves already. We need Historia back, and we need her back by yesterday."

Ymir's stomach growled again, but much more powerfully than it had earlier. "I don't suppose you could wait until after I've eaten?"

Nanaba merely cocked an eyebrow. "Get dressed and be here in ten minutes. I'll be waiting in the foyer."

Ymir chuckled to herself as the transmission ended and the hologram disappeared. She pressed the same button that she had earlier to end the call and then stretched her arms wide before she headed to her room.

Orders were orders.

XxX

An hour later Ymir was strapped tightly on a comfortable seat, clad in a smart black suit. Her squad usually gave her grief for it, but she preferred it to their harsh military uniform. It was smarter and it made her look damn good. Plus it gave her a few more seconds of inconspicuousness than she would have had in military clothes.

Ymir had no weapon on her at the moment other than her personal favourite Baretta 418 pistol. It was a .25 ACP calibre with an 8-round magazine capacity. Ymir kept it close to her torso in a shoulder holster. It felt sturdy against her, and Ymir smiled to herself as she chewed lazily on a chicken and mayo sandwich—which had been graciously given to her the moment she stepped onto the plane.

Nanaba was a stern boss, but no one could call her heartless.

"We'll be there in about an hour. This is the fastest aircraft I could get on such short notice. How's the sandwich?" Nanaba sat across from Ymir in the small space of the plane's cargo hold. Unlike Ymir she wore full military uniform, her badge hanging proudly around her neck. She had her muscular arms crossed over her chest, one leg propped up on the other.

"Fucking fantastic," Ymir answered with a grin. She swallowed the last of her impromptu dinner and then brushed her hands together to relieve her skin of the crumbs. "So how much is this Lod bastard paying us to rescue his dear daughter?"

Nanaba shrugged. "We aren't doing it for the money. Reiss is an important political figure. If his daughter is taken so easily by a previously amateur terrorist group, he could lose standing."

"I'd have figured that a man like him would have gone crying to the press already. Being a distraught parent has a certain charm to the ignorant fucks of this age."

Again Nanaba shrugged. "I've met Historia once. She prefers to be called Krista by her close friends. I'm not just doing this because I was ordered to by the higher-ups. She's a genuinely nice person, and I do owe her a favour."

Ymir finally sensed the deep worry behind Nanaba's tone and her eyebrow lifted in curiosity. "How close were you?"

Nanaba shifted uncomfortably. "I was hired to look after her when I was still a field agent. She was just a little kid then, and I watched her so often that I came to think of her as a little sister. That girl has been so alone her entire life. Please, I never ask personal favours of you, but make sure that you bring her back safely. I would appreciate it more than you can imagine."

Ymir nodded slowly. This was not the time to make inappropriate jokes, she knew. So she kept silent and then clenched her hands atop her legs.

Their plane was another technological breakthrough hidden from the public. It was small and sleek, but flew at such speeds that it was difficult to follow with the naked eye. Most people didn't know, but this specific plane was responsible for most if not all UFO sightings. The government allowed the public to believe in flying saucers, since it gave their many secret aircraft the secrecy they desired. No one truly knew how much the government and world leaders kept hidden from them.

Knowledge was power, and to withhold that power from the masses was to hold the key to it. Many powerful men knew this, even Ymir understood that. She thought that UFO conspiracy enthusiasts were stupid and made fun of them, but really didn't care to ever let anyone in on the secret.

The hour went by quickly and before she knew it Ymir was being wrapped in a parachute. Nanaba gave her shoulder a hard squeeze in encouragement, and then pressed the button that lowered the cargo doors.

Seeing the trees and sand flow by down below in the darkness didn't make Ymir's stomach turn. It had at the start of her career, but she had become accustomed to jumping out of moving vehicles at crazy heights.

The brunette gave Nanaba a look. "Will you be stationed nearby?"

Nanaba shook her head. "I have to rush back to meet with Reiss. I've sent a request for an extraction team. They should be here within three hours. Contact them when you need extraction."

Ymir grinned and then she nodded. "I'll get the girl in no time, leave it to me!" She slipped a pair of goggles over her face to protect her eyes, and then tensed her legs as she prepared to jump. Trees and pools of water flashed by, and then Nanaba ordered her to jump and Ymir listened.

For a second she was suspended in the air, and then she felt the pull of gravity and her body began to fall. It was an invigorating feeling, one that caused adrenalin to course through her veins and spread out to every cell in her body. Ymir resisted the urge to laugh like a teenager and instead focused on the distance to the ground. When she was far down enough she pulled on the parachute and then grunted when her body jerked violently.

The chute sailed cleanly through the night, depositing her in a collection of trees. Luckily she did not get snagged on any, and quickly disposed of the parachute and goggles to fix her suit before moving on. Her watch beeped once and Ymir glanced at it to check the coordinates.

She was about half an hour away from her needed location, so she kept to the cover of darkness and hurried there on foot. It always amazed her how Nanaba seemed to have contacts everywhere, even all the way in Egypt. Her squad itself was comprised of agents from all over the world. Ymir was from South Africa, while Mikasa was from Japan and Reiner and Annie were both from Germany. Despite their differences in nationalities and cultures, they made the most lethal team.

Ymir suddenly wished that they were with her, to cover her back, but then shook it off and focused on the task at hand. It was difficult to see, but she managed it after growing more accustomed to the darkness. Small, local and historical houses dotted the area between large olive trees. Not many people were out, to Ymir's relief, since the hour was quite late.

A black dot came into view up ahead, and soon Ymir stepped up to an out-of-place metal warehouse. It looked more like a garage, but Ymir didn't have the time to stand and criticize. She found the door and quickly slipped inside. A light flashed on and Ymir drew her weapon in under a second.

"Whoa!" someone exclaimed. When Ymir looked to the voice she relaxed.

"What are you doing in this shithole?" she asked.

Eren sighed in relief. "I was sent out here to track Emblem down. Since I was here Nanaba asked me to get the stuff you need. Here," he pointed to a large object covered in a dusty tarp. When he pulled the covering off Ymir was impressed to see a Desert Patrol vehicle, now known as VAP. It was sandy in colour, which was expected, and pleasantly bulky. It had a payload of 1.5 tons and could transport up to four people along with supplies and mission equipment—of which Eren had already stocked. Ymir spotted a collection of automatic guns and hand grenades all sitting neatly in the back seats. She was impressed.

"I've managed to figure out where Emblem's HQ is," Eren explained quickly. He beckoned Ymir over towards a dirty table and typed a few keys on his laptop. An image pulled up of a seemingly harmless cabin nestled deeply in the woods. If she wasn't looking for it specifically, she would have completely missed it. "They have this cabin around the edge of Siwi, some 20 km from here. I found it purely by chance and attached a tracking device to a nearby tree. It will transmit a signal to our headquarters back in the US until the device is destroyed. I'll send the data to your watch."

Though Eren was still relatively new to his position and ranking far lower than Ymir, he was a good soldier. He had probably gone through some nasty shit to learn the information that he had, and Ymir was eternally grateful to never have to dig in shit to get the needed information. She now had the privilege of merely following the information that lower squads collected for her.

"If you travel fast you can get there in minutes. Park a kilometre or so away, because they might hear you coming. Inside of the cabin there is nothing really interesting, but inside," he tapped more keys on the laptop and then grinned proudly when an image of the cabin's interior loaded onto the screen. "There's a hidden door underneath that rug. Use your watch to fry the security system attached to it, and then head carefully down the ladder. That's as far as I can take you, so the rest is up to you." Eren then stood and performed a salute, body straight and rigid.

Ymir rolled her eyes. "You did really well, shit. You've made my job much easier. If I don't come back within two hours then I've probably been killed. Seek me out then or contact Nanaba. Are there any other field agents with you?"

Eren nodded. "Just one, ma'am, but he's currently out with the locals and tourists trying to gather more intel."

Ymir nodded once. "Good. Send me the data so that I can be on my way."

Eren quickly scrambled to do as he was told, and then watched as Ymir climbed into the heavily armed vehicle and started it up. He opened the doors to the warehouse by shoving them open, and then waved.

"Good luck!"

Ymir waved at him in dismissal and then settled in for the quick drive. Her watch beeped as she drove, indicating her destination with a red dot. It displayed the path that she would need to take, and Ymir enjoyed the flow of cool air through her brown hair.

Maybe she could get this done and head home in time to finish her dinner.

XxX

Sitting by a plethora of futuristic computers and communication devices, skilled professional Petra Ral observed what appeared to be an intruder on their security camera. She sat for a long while, watching the attractive brown-haired agent break into the cabin and then disarm their keypad and fingerprint scanner. The heavy metal door slid open with ease and the brunette grinned as she slipped inside. Petra continued to watch her.

"Are you watching porn again?" A uniformed, bespectacled woman plopped down beside Petra and chuckled to herself. Hanji Zoe, ex-scientific genius from NASA, was as crude as she was brilliant.

Petra frowned. "We have a breach. Looks like the SES."

"How many agents?"

Petra's frown deepened. "Only one, apparently. She just broke in and should be in the higher levels by now."

Hanji chewed on her lip in thought. "Think she's government or private?"

"Probably government," Petra answered. "I can't imagine Lod risking a leak of information if he hires a mercenary."

Hanji hummed again. "Run her face in our database. I'd like to see who they sent here."

With a quick few keystrokes Petra had compared Ymir's face to everyone on their database until five minutes in they received a result.

"Ymir," Petra voiced, reading the electronic file. "Born on the first of February, 1976 in Pretoria, South Africa. Left in foster care at the age of three, adopted at six. When she hit fourteen she was arrested a few times for breaking-and-entering and theft. Spent a few years in juvi. At nineteen she was tangled in a high profile murder case as the top suspect until the case was dropped due to supposedly false evidence. Ymir dropped off the grid for a few years and then popped up at twenty-four, suddenly part of the SES training program. She's specialized in hand-to-hand combat, long distance and short distance shooting, and the manning of almost every mode of transport. As of three years ago she was promoted to special agent, and now she spends most of her time in her expensive house."

"Hmmm." Hanji studied the agent's freckled face. "She's handsome though."

Petra shrugged. "Should I get Levi to—?"

"No," Hanji interrupted. "I just escorted Historia back to her room and Levi is standing guard. Let Ymir come to us and think that she has the advantage."

Petra didn't like the idea and wanted to quickly deal with the problem. If the SES captain sent a lone agent in, it meant that agent was more qualified and capable than a handful of trained foot soldiers. This Ymir could become a real problem, but she decided to acquiesce this one.

"Fine," she said. "If she finds Historia then that's on you."

XxX

"Goddamn fucking steps go on forever," Ymir grumbled as she dropped down from the ladder and finally onto the ground. The place must have been about twenty feet underground already.

Since there was no real information from here, Ymir would have to figure out how to hack into the Emblem servers and find out where Historia was being kept. Firstly she would need to find the control room.

The brunette agent drew her weapon and then stepped deeper into the enemy's abyss. The walls and floor were all metal, causing her expensive leather shoes to echo loudly around her. No doubt any patrolling guard would hear her.

And as predicted Ymir spotted a guard heading her way, though it seemed that she hadn't been noticed yet. In a sudden rush Ymir looked around for any way to hide herself. She saw a collection of exposed pipes above her and sighed deeply before resigning herself to her fate.

Ymir hoisted her lean body upwards, glad for the many hours spent sculpting her biceps, and used her powerful legs to hook herself on more of the pipes. Body positioned horizontally, Ymir held her breath and waited. Her gun was in her mouth, not the smartest move but the first thing that she had thought to do.

The soldier's footsteps drew near and when Ymir felt certain, the brunette dropped from her hiding spot and landed loudly behind the guard. Quicker than lighting Ymir wrapped her arm around the guard's neck.

"Tell me where your control room is."

Ymir's other arm was wrapped around the soldier's chest, giving away the soft cushion of breasts. Ymir's breath pressed against the woman's ear. The woman shivered.

"D-down this level. Find the elevator and travel down to level fourty-two. There will be another long hallway with doors. Go through the third one on the right."

Ymir patted the soldier's chest and then jabbed a pressure point by her neck to knock her out. Now that the woman was out, Ymir got a good look at her face. She was surprised to see that they looked almost identical.

"Well I found my doppelganger." She took it as a perfect opportunity and pulled the woman's uniform off. It was painful to exchange her crisp suit for sweaty military wear, but with this Ymir could walk around without worrying about being spotted.

The I.D badge told Ymir that the soldier was named Ilse, and she shrugged lightly as she pocketed it and headed to the elevator.

The ride down to level fourty-two was longer than expected. Ymir gripped Ilse's automatic rifle tightly and tried not to show the irritation on her face.

Eventually the elevator doors swept open and Ymir walked calmly to the third door on the right. She paused by the doorway after opening it, sweating lightly when she realized that two women were inside, both now looking her way.

"Ilse?" the one with glasses spoke. "What brings you all the way down here?"

Ymir's sharp mind quickly formulated a response and she stepped calmly into the room, shutting the door behind her.

"Ma'am, I heard footsteps on level one and noticed that the upper hatch had been opened. There were dirty footprints on the ladder as well," she confidently reported. Maybe with this they would go into a panic trying to find the intruder, giving her time to find Historia and get the hell out of there.

"Hanji," the other woman said, a pretty orange-blonde. "This sounds serious, what should we do?"

Ymir decided to approach them and paused just beside the brunette. She discreetly pressed a button on her watch and did not flinch when it beeped lightly.

Hanji took on a contemplative expression. "Maybe we should sweep the levels and apprehend whoever broke in. Can't imagine someone could make it very far in, though."

Ymir resisted the urge to smirk. She had gotten in, and pretty damn far at that too.

"Ilse, go and get Mike and start searching from the upper levels. Use your stun guns and incapacitate whoever is in. Bring them to me when they're caught."

Ymir swallowed lightly. Her watch hadn't finished hacking the database. She pressed her fingers against the gun. "Would only two of us be enough?"

"Petra, what do you think?"

Petra shrugged. "It depends on who broke in. Our location is pretty isolated, so it might be a secret agent."

Hanji agreed with a nod and Ymir's watch beeped. She smirked.

"Find Rico and take her with you. If it gets serious radio in for Levi. He's watching over Historia right now."

Ymir didn't allow the satisfaction to show on her face and nodded her head once. She left the way she had come and then pulled up a holographic screen to assess the data she had taken.

From surveillance footage Ymir deduced that the blonde was being kept in a room on the lowest floor, level fifty. It was a room with heavy metal double doors, both kept shut by large locks that interlocked. A handprint scanner sat against the wall beside it.

Ymir closed the hologram and then hurried to the elevator. The ride to the bottom level was quicker this time, and she quietly made her way towards the doors, where a tiny man stood with a large weapon in his hands. He had a deep scowl on his face, like he had never smiled before in his life. When he spotted Ymir his eyes narrowed.

"What do you want, shitty freckles?"

Ymir purses her lips. "We have a breach. You're wanted at the upper levels with Mike and Rico to sweep the floors and find the intruder."

Levi snorted. "How the hell did someone even get in? We have cameras all over the same place." His narrowed eyes flicked over her form, apparently detecting that something wasn't quite right, but not realizing it.

"Hanji gave specific orders," she explaining, praying to any god out there that Ilse referred to Hanji by first name. If not then she had just blown her cover.

Levi contemplated for a moment and then he shrugged and heaved a sigh. "It must be better than standing out here like a moron. Take over for me until I get back." He stepped away from the door and then slapped Ymir once on the back. "Good luck with that brat. She's been driving me crazy."

Ymir nodded once and watched the small man go. This had gone smoother than she had anticipated.

The freckled agent fried the scanning device and then heaved the doors open, careful not to make a sound. She slipped inside the room and then shut the door behind her.

The room was surprisingly tasteful. There was a plush, red carpet covering the floor and the walls were a creamy peach colour. Against the wall there was a Queen sized bed, and atop it a small figure sat up in alarm.

"Ilse?" she asked tentatively.

Ymir made her way to the girl. "It's not Ilse. My name is Ymir. I'm with the SES. We were contacted by your father about your kidnapping and I was sent here to bring you back. Are you hurt?"

Historia shook her head. "H-how did you get in?"

Ymir finally smirked. "I'm the best of the best. Now come along, squirt. Your father wants you back before sundown tomorrow. Do you know of a way out from here?"

"No, I've been in this room since they brought me here."

She still seemed rather frightened, but at least relief started to wash over her face. Ymir had to force herself to look away from the attractive blonde—she was still just in a silk nightie.

Ymir checked the Emblem data again and found a map of their lair. She swept her eyes over it once and then nodded.

"There are stairs nearby that lead to the above level. Levi should be at the top levels by now. If we stick to the stairs and avoid the elevator, we should be able to leave the way I came in. By the time they realize you're gone, we'll already be heading back to South Africa."

The blonde glanced nervously at the door.

"Don't worry," Ymir assured. "No one will find us. Come on."

It looked as if Historia was about to protest but then she kept quiet and allowed Ymir to pull her from the room. They hurried over to the stairs and started ascending.

Ymir kept a firm hand on the blonde's arm, concerned with how quiet she was being.

"Did they hurt you, Historia?"

She shook her head. "Please don't call me that."

Ymir's eyebrow lifted. "Krista, then?" When she nodded Ymir sighed. "Just hang on, I'll get you out of here in no time."

XxX

A searing pain shot through Ymir's side, waking her from an induced sleep. When her eyes fluttered open, confusion filled her. The last thing she remembered was taking Krista up the stairs, and then nothing. What the hell had happened?

"I see you're finally awake, Ymir." She recognized Hanji's voice. "I was afraid that she gave you too much tranquilizer."

Ymir's head pounded and her body felt odd. When she moved she realized that she barely could. Her hands were handcuffed behind her back, attached to chains that wound around her ankles. This caused her to hunch over at an odd, painful angle. She was surprised that she had stayed upright while unconscious.

"Where am I?" she flinched as her words bounced back at her. This wasn't right. Her words sounded strange. Where the hell was she?

An open glance answered her question, and Ymir squinted her bleary eyes to see the form in front of her. Instead of Hanji, the person standing in front of her was Krista. The blonde's face was leaning close.

"You're in a glass box," Krista answered. Hanji was behind her, Petra was busy with something in the corner.

"Wh-what? Krista… you…"

The blonde's gaze was unapologetic. She didn't seem distressed or held hostage. In that instant Ymir remembered what had happened.

_They were halfway up the stairwell, probably in the twentieth level. Ymir barely broke out into a sweat, while Krista was breathing harshly behind her. The little blonde tugged at Ymir's shirt and asked for a break._

"_Please, I'm exhausted."_

_Ymir rolled her eyes but nodded. "Fine," she said harshly. "But you only get a minute. This isn't a game. We need to escape before anyone figures out you're gone."_

_Krista nodded and then slumped down onto the floor. She took deep, even breaths, eyes focused on her bare feet. "Can I ask you something?" _

_Ymir looked at her. "What?"_

"_Why did you come to save me?" The look in her eyes was sad._

_Ymir didn't understand the point of the question. "I was ordered to. What, did you think your father would just forget about you?"_

_Krista smiled sadly, as if that is exactly what she had hoped. It sent a strange feeling through Ymir and she narrowed her eyes darkly. "Why'd they take you, anyway?"_

_Krista shrugged. "Some things don't always appear as they seem."_

_Ymir snorted and then harshly pulled the young blonde to her feet. "Alright, enough resting. Let's go." She kept her hold on Krista's arm and pulled her farther along the stairs. When they hit level fourteen Krista suddenly stopped, planting her heels firmly against the floor._

"_Wait!" she exclaimed, breathing as harshly as she had before. "They brought me through here! I know a shortcut." She didn't give Ymir time to respond and darted through the door to the level. Ymir cursed softly and dashed after her. There was no way she was going to lose this girl after finding her so easily. _

_Krista paused up ahead and turned, face darkened. "Ymir, is it?" she asked._

_Ymir paused by her, and suddenly she realized something. It had been entirely too easy to get in, too easy to find Historia and too easy to escort her away. Fuck. _

_Ymir didn't respond. She stared into the blonde's blue eyes, feeling the realization dawn on her in a powerful wave. This was a trap, she realized it now. _

"_I'm sorry," Krista said. She seemed genuinely upset, like Ymir had done something she wasn't supposed to do. "Please don't hate me." She pulled a small gun from somewhere on her body, and aimed._

_Ymir reacted almost immediately, but she was not quick enough. Despite her size and seemingly harmlessness, Krista was razor sharp and super-fast._

_A tranquilizer dart burst out of the gun and sunk into Ymir's side, just above her hip. The pain was searing, but faded fast. Ymir teetered to the side, sent Krista a horrified glance and then crumbled to the floor, out cold like the dead._

Ymir's expression contorted in anger. "Krista, what the fuck? Do you understand the situation here? These assholes are fucking terrorists!"

Krista smiled in amusement. It was a chilling sight. She pressed her hand against the glass, eyes looking down at Ymir with pity. "I think it's you that doesn't understand the situation, Ymir." She turned to Hanji and then nodded.

Hanji's face hardened and she went to the wall beside the glass box. There she pulled a lever, and then Ymir's head snapped downwards. She hadn't noticed but there was a vent against her knees, and water was beginning to slowly seep in. There was no opening to the top of the box, and Ymir started to panic.

"Fuck!" She struggled at her binding.

"It's no use," Krista stated. She folded her arms across her chest. "There's no escape."

Petra approached them then, pointedly not looking at Ymir slowly being engulfed by body-temperature water. "Krista, our camera's caught a few soldiers headed our way. We need to leave."

A surge of hope went through Ymir, but she glanced at the water again and realized that if it was an SES team, they would not make it.

"Look, release me and I'll tell them I couldn't get in," Ymir begged. "Please. Don't fucking drown me." _This was supposed to be an easy recovery mission,_ Ymir thought to herself. _Not some fucking conspiracy with my life seriously on the line._

Krista sighed softly. "I'm afraid I can't let you out. You see, Ymir, I'm not a victim here. I didn't expect Lod to send anyone to find me. I'm impressed that you managed to locate me in such a short amount of time." She smiled again, as sad as she had earlier.

Ymir's eyes widened. "It's you," she said. "You're the fucking leader!"

Now Krista smiled in amusement. She clapped slowly. "Well done. I'm impressed that you figured that out too."

Hanji tapped her shoulder nervously. "Krista, we really need to go. Our helicopter is ready." She pointed to an elevator to the corner of the room. She and Petra shared a look.

"Why?" Ymir asked. The water had now reached her chest. No one had realized, but Ymir had a hidden knife strapped to her ankle that she was now using to break handcuffs' locking mechanism. So far it was working, and if she gave the cuffs a single tug they would break. "At least tell me why I'm going to die."

Krista's face darkened. "If you knew half the things Lod did… still does, then you'd be driven to drastic measures too. I knew the request to admit his sins wouldn't work. What he needs is to be publically shamed, and I plan to do so." With the conviction in her voice Ymir didn't doubt that she would do it. This girl was goddamn crazy, but Ymir couldn't deny the slight spark of attraction that lit in her.

Sure, this blonde was gonna let her drown, but she was still cute.

"Let's go," Hanji urged. Krista finally agreed and walked off towards the elevator. The water now touched Ymir's chin and she tipped her head back.

"I'm sorry," Krista breathed out. She seemed sincere. Ymir couldn't care less. "May you be at peace." And then the doors shut.

Ymir strained her shoulders and arms and then broke herself free from the handcuffs. She immediately stood on shaking legs and took deep, even breaths. _At least the water isn't cold_, she mused.

With the small knife Ymir took a breath and then submerged herself in the water. She crouched and fiddled with the chains around her ankles. After a minute she had no choice but to resurface for air. When she did she noticed with panic that the water had reached her shoulders—and she was standing to her full height. If she didn't free herself then she would drown before the water even touched the top of the tank.

Trying again, Ymir battled with the chains around her ankles. She tried to surface for air again, but the water had risen far too high. She released a gasp of surprise and almost breathed water in, but then shut her mouth and crouched down again. Panic filled her entire body. She could feel her lungs straining for oxygen, and the fear creeping up her spine made her actions more frenzied. With a sudden gush of strength she managed to break the lock and then kicked her powerful legs to reach the surface.

Air had never tasted as wonderful, and Ymir gulped in large mouthfuls until her lungs ceased to ache. Now that she was no longer restrained, she made sure to keep herself above the rising water.

Ymir was surprised to find her gun in the holster that she had kept on. Why hadn't they taken it off her? They had removed her watch, and Ymir was disgruntled to notice that it had been smashed on the floor.

She removed her gun but found herself pressing up against the roof of the glass enclosure. The water almost filled it entirely. Ymir felt her lips press to the glass and gasped and sputtered. At least she had her gun. Should she dive under now and shoot her way out?

With one large breath, Ymir decided on it and dipped herself into the water. She felt weightless and warm. The water was almost comforting, but it didn't quell the panic she felt at the prospect of death. However, she still was not certain that her death would happen. She had her gun, and one or two shots should shatter the glass.

Ymir allowed her hope to guide her hands and aimed at the glass in front of her. She shot once blindly, waiting to hear a crack or shatter. There was nothing—only a loud smack of the bullet hitting the glass and then sinking to the floor. There was not even a scratch left behind.

Ymir shot again, panic now burning her limbs. She kicked her legs upwards and prepared to breathe in the last bit of air, but found only water. It had consumed every bit of space in the enclosure. Ymir started shooting everywhere, panicked and terrified. When she ran out of bullets she used her gun to slam it against the glass, but it had no effect at all.

This was it. Now she knew that she was going to die. The moment the realization set in she stopped her panicked movements and allowed the gun to sink to the bottom. There was no use in wasting the last of her oxygen.

Her lungs were already burning for air, and she felt the strong desire to open her mouth and inhale.

Everyone always states how your life flashes before your eyes, and Ymir found that in that instant, it was true. She knew that this was it, and although a large part of her didn't want to believe, was terrified of the prospect, she still knew—this would be the end of her. Ymir would cease to exist. Everything she was would be gone. Only those that knew her would remember her, and even over time they would forget. They would move on, eventually they would die. Generations would pass and "Ymir" would have been nothing.

She didn't want that. She didn't want her life to end. There was still so much left to do—watch the end of many series she was following, finish all the books she had put off of reading, watch little Shadow grow, maybe find someone to love, get married and have kids, tease Nanaba relentlessly.

Ymir thought of Nanaba, and her heart thudded painfully.

At one stage she had crushed badly on her blonde superior. They had spent a stupid drunk night together, but had decided that it would end there. They were worked better as boss and subordinate than lovers. Ymir would like to believe that they were even friends. How would she feel when they eventually discovered Ymir's body? Would the blonde feel guilty?

Ymir wondered how long Nanaba would mourn for her as she felt a strong desire to inhale. She knew that in seconds it would no longer be under her control and her body would take over, her mouth snapping open and lungs expanding to breathe in the air it needed.

The carbon dioxide in her blood reached dangerous levels, and Ymir could feel the hypoxia settle in. Her last few seconds were up and she reached her breath-hold breakpoint.

Ymir's mouth opened and she inhaled. Warm water washed down her oesophagus and into her lungs, and the pain was more than Ymir had ever experienced before. She coughed in an attempt to get the water out, but it didn't work. She swallowed as she coughed, involuntarily pulling more water into her lungs.

The sensation was awful. It burnt. Ymir's eyes squeezed shut as she felt herself fading away. She lamely attempted to scratch at the glass with the remaining bit of her strength, but went limp almost immediately. Ymir released a bubble of air, grabbed at her chest, and then she slumped forward.

Ymir's body sunk to the bottom of the tank and landed softly in a heap. Her brown hair moved around her frozen face, her eyes still open. It would be a little while until her body was discovered.

XxX

Nanaba had never realized how much Ymir had meant to her. Sure, she was merely an agent under her command. And yes, they might have messed around once. Ymir was a terrible kisser—too rough, too hard and too fast. But Nanaba had enjoyed the briefness of their strange love affair. Now, however, a strange part of her regretted having ever gone there. A dull ache started in her chest and she rubbed harshly at the spot. Maybe if she hadn't learnt to care about Ymir differently, then she wouldn't be so affected.

But it had happened, and Nanaba couldn't deny it now.

Her legs burnt with how quickly she was climbing the stairs. Up ahead she could hear the rush of helicopter rotors.

"Captain, Reiss wants to speak to you," Lynne, one of Nanaba's personal assistants said as she held a phone out towards her boss.

Nanaba glared at it. "Tell him I have no new information but will get back to him as soon as I can."

Lynne began to sweat. "Captain, he says it's urgent. He won't stop calling."

Nanaba finally took the phone from her PA. "Mr Reiss," she said curtly.

The man on the line grunted. "I heard that something happened. What is it? Have you recovered Historia?"

Nanaba's lips pulled together firmly. For a moment she considered telling him what was going on—that Ymir's watch had ceased to send out a signal, as well as the tracker imbedded in her skin. That meant that her watch had been destroyed and Ymir's heart had stopped, since the device was mainly powered by the vibrations of her heart and the warmth in her body.

Instead, she growled. "Sir, I have told you countless times—we will find Historia. I would appreciate it if you stopped harassing my team and afforded us the time that we need to operate. If you'll excuse me, I have more important work to do than talk to you." She harshly ended the call with a swipe and then handed the phone back to Lynne. "Switch the phone off," she ordered. "And if he calls again, patch him through to Erwin."

Lynne nodded and then watched as Nanaba climbed into the waiting helicopter. She could tell by the blonde's worried expression that something terrible had happened. She hoped that Nanaba would be alright.

The helicopter rose into the air, and then dipped slightly downwards as it lurched forward. The rotor blades sliced through the air as Nanaba headed out to Siwi.

XxX

Ymir felt like she was floating in an endless void of darkness. She heard voices around her—Nanaba whispering in her ear, Reiner making rude jokes, Annie chastising him. They circled around her, and then vanished.

Warmth washed around her and Ymir wondered if this was it. _Is this heaven? Am I dead?_

She felt like she had no body, and when she tried to move, there was nothing there to move. It was as if she was just a consciousness, floating in a void of her memories and regrets.

_If only it didn't have to end so soon,_ she thought sadly. She could only remember what was flashing before her, feeling as though once the memories faded away, she forgot them. At one stage she forgot who she was.

_Who am I?_

She was moving, and it felt unreal. There was warmth rushing around her, and then suddenly there was cold. There was a loud noise and Ymir flinched. Was it even flinching? She couldn't tell.

She sensed hands clamp down around her, and if she had a mouth, she would have screamed. But all she could do was remain still and panic as those hands pulled at her, rough and hard. The light that blinded her next was painful, and Ymir cursed whoever said that life after death was bliss.

XxX

Eren cursed softly as he hoisted Ymir's body from the tank. He had found the lever that opened the top latch, and so once she was over the edge she fell onto him and he landed painfully on the floor.

Ymir toppled over onto the floor, and then water rushed out of her mouth. Eren kept her on her side and slapped her back, encouraging the fluid to leave her lungs.

"Come on," he encouraged. "Cough it out!"

Ymir's body convulsed then, and then she curled into herself and started coughing. Water spurted out along with mucus. She groaned as she coughed, hands covering her face.

The pain wracking Ymir's body was awful, not to mention the confusion. She was sure that she had just been dead, but the pain filling her body and the pounding of her head was proof that she was still very much alive. Eren continued to pound her back until she curled away from him. He stopped, took a breath and then collapsed beside her.

"Oh man, I thought you were gone."

Ymir couldn't speak. Her lungs still burnt, but breathing was essential. She wanted to go back into the water, into the warmth and nothingness. Everything sounded so loud, the air too cold, the light too bright. Was this what being born felt like? Ymir wanted to go back into the womb.

"Ma'am, Nanaba is on her way with a medical team. You'll be taken back to South Africa and to a hospital in Durban. How are you feeling?"

Ymir could only groan. Her head was pounding and she was shivering. Eren noticed and laid his thick jacket on top of her.

"H-how…" Ymir swallowed, lips trembling. "How am I still alive?"

"Perfluorocarbon," Eren answered.

Ymir groaned again.

Perfluorocarbon, or PFC, is a synthetic liquid fluorinated hydrocarbon. It is clear, odourless, chemically and biologically inert with a low surface tension and high oxygen/carbon dioxide carrying capacity—in short, it is oxygen rich breathable liquid. It can hold three times the oxygen and four times the carbon dioxide than the human blood. It is effective as a liquid ventilation medium, used by the military and still dangerous to the unknowledgeable.

Ymir had merely blacked out due to the fear, and the water rushing into her lungs hadn't killed her, but had rather fed her the oxygen she had desperately needed. It still hurt, and Ymir was steadily coming back to herself.

With great effort she stood up, and she was grateful for Eren's help in keeping her upright. She coughed up another mouthful of water and then pushed Eren away from her drenched body.

"I can stand on my own now," she snarled.

He backed away, hands out in front of him. "Okay, great. Think you can walk to the elevator? We'll meet Nanaba up top. Unfortunately Emblem managed to escape. This little blonde told me to rush in, though. Said I'd find you here."

Ymir smiled sardonically. So the little bitch didn't want to kill her after all? Ymir's strength was coming back to her, and she dropped Eren's jacket to the ground.

"We need to meet up with the captain and inform her that Historia Reiss was not kidnapped. She is the leader of Emblem. They plan to destroy Lod Reiss either by ruining his reputation or actually killing him themselves."

She had no care for the man, at all. What she wanted now was to get that little blonde and kick her ass so hard that she forgot how to speak. No one fucked with Ymir and got away with it. No one played her for a fool and then scared her into almost crying like a baby.

Ymir would never admit it, but she had shed a few tears in her final moment. Dying—or what she had thought was dying—had been painful and frightening.

At least one thing had been made clear to her; she did not want to die, and she now had a strong appreciation for still breathing.

"We need to search this underground lair and find out what their plans are. I plan to find that little runt and give her what she deserves."

Eren furrowed his brows but followed Ymir to the elevator. He remained silent as they rode upwards and even as they stepped out into the light. Ymir only hissed softly and covered her eyes, but said nothing else.

Another man jogged up to them, a blonde. By his uniform Ymir knew that he was SES.

"Eren!" he called, breathless.

"Armin!" Eren caught the young man as he collapsed against him.

"I… managed…" Armin gasped out, "to attach a tracking device onto their helicopter. I nearly got my head blown off, but I got it on there!"

Eren beamed and slapped his friend on the back. "Nice going, man! I didn't think you had it in you for the dirty work."

Armin took the praise with a little laugh and shrugged. "I saw you run in and couldn't do anything else, really." He noticed Ymir then and straightened. "Ma'am."

Ymir merely nodded. "Good work, both of you. I'll be letting Erwin know of your badassness." She managed a grin, and inhaled deeply. It was already early morning, with the sun peeking out over the horizon. How long had she been out for? Must have been a while.

"Ma'am, did you discover anything new about Emblem?" Armin asked.

Ymir shrugged. "Historia is their boss and founder. I'm pretty sure she started this whole group to destroy her father. She has two sidekicks, Hanji and Petra, and soldiers called Levi, Mike, Rico and Ilse. That's all the names I got before being drowned. Recognize any?"

Armin shook his head. "No, they must be under the radar."

A loud whizz began in the sky, and Ymir lifted her head to watch the approaching helicopter. Eventually it landed close to them, and before the helicopter was even properly landed Nanaba was out, running towards them. She engulfed Ymir in a hug.

"Good god, I thought you were dead," she gasped out.

Ymir smiled wryly. "Honestly? So did I. This extraction job turned into something real shitty."

Nanaba pulled back, expression apologetic. "I know, I'm sorry. What happened?" Ymir gave a summarized version of what had happened since the moment she had jumped out of the plane. Nanaba was frowning, and when she failed to respond immediately Ymir narrowed her eyes.

"You knew, didn't you? That she created Emblem?"

Nanaba's eyes averted. "She promised to disband the group. They weren't doing anything serious. I didn't think that she was really this determined." She sighed and ran a hand through her hair. She still had one hand on Ymir's shoulder. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. You're going to help me find her."

Nanaba grimaced. "I don't want this to go public, or for Krista to end up in jail."

Eren and Armin had disappeared back to the elevator, affording Nanaba and Ymir some privacy. The helicopter was silent now, the pilot quietly paging through a magazine.

Ymir grinned when she turned back to her boss. "Well then, boss, we'll be taking unpaid leave and finding her ourselves. Will you have contacts outside of our organization?"

Nanaba nodded. "I do."

"Good." Ymir patted Nanaba's hands once. "Give me some time to get over the experience of death and we can leave by nightfall."

Nanaba swallowed, her heart pounding. She was immensely relieved that Ymir was alive, but saddened at Krista's betrayal. A part of her had expected this, but the other part had hoped—hoped that the innocent, little Historia would return. Nanaba was aware of how awful her father was, and she would have stepped in to protect Historia from his evil if she had been aware years earlier.

But the damage was done, and there was no turning back. Krista needed to be stopped, and the only ones that could do that were them.

"Recover," Nanaba told her. "And then we'll head out."

Ymir nodded once. "At least she's hot," she admitted quietly. "But I'm still going to kick her ass for putting me through that hell." Ymir stared at the rising sun, frowning.

Nanaba stared with her. "Yeah," she agreed. "I think she needs that."

A team of SES members joined them too, including Mikasa. Apparently Nanaba had called her in urgently and she had abandoned her previous mission. She was briefed on what had happened and quietly asked if she would join them. Without hesitation she agreed.

First they would need to go through the Emblem computers to see what they were planning, and then they would head out to find them, and stop them.


End file.
